1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for processing image data acquired by an image scanning apparatus according to instructions from a host computer, to an image scanning apparatus, a point-of-sale (POS) terminal, and an electronic payment system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Paying for purchases using a personal check, such as that shown in FIG. 9, is common practice in the United States. Electronic payment systems that digitize check Clearing process are able to complete the check-clearing process more quickly and securely by scanning each check and sending the scanned image over a network to a clearing house.
As shown in FIG. 10 an electronic payment system 201 involves a user 211 that writes a check C, a store (POS terminal) 212 where check C is used, a check-issuing bank 213 where the user 211 has an account on which check C is written, a business account bank 214 where the store 212 has an account, and a clearing process server 215 that handles check C clearing process. The clearing process server 215 is connected to the customer terminal of user 211, the POS terminal of store 212, check-issuing bank 213, and business account bank 214 over a network 220.
Using a check C starts with the user 211 writing and presenting a check C to the store 212 to pay for a purchase. As shown in FIG. 9 user-specific information 251 printed in magnetic ink on the face of check C includes a bank code and a user account number by which the user 211 can be identified. The store 212 can determine whether check C is valid by scanning this user-specific information 251 with a MICR reader. To actually determine if check C is valid, the information captured from the MICR scan is sent by the store to the clearing process server 215, which determines the validity of check C and returns the result to the store 212.
If check C is confirmed valid, the operator (e.g., the check-out clerk) prints the transaction amount 252 and store information 253 on the check face, prints an endorsement 255 on the back of the check, and then obtains the user's signature 256. The store 212 then scans the completed check C with a scanner, stores the captured image data together with the user-specific information 251 acquired by the MICR head, amount 252, and store information 253 in the terminal computer (POS terminal), and sends the same information to the clearing process server 215.
Based on the received image data, user-specific information 251, amount 252, and store information 253, the clearing process server 215 completes the financial transaction (transfer) between the business account bank 214 and check-issuing bank 213. The clearing process server 215 also sends the image data to the user 211 and reports the result of the payment process. Because this electronic payment system 201 sends and receives image data, it is not necessary to transport the physical check; thus, the payment process can be completed quickly and securely.
The problem with deploying this electronic payment system 201 in every store, however, is the environment of the terminal computer (POS terminal) that stores and manages the image data. More specifically, the image data is sent to and stored in the terminal computer after it is acquired by the scanner, but if the terminal computer has a low speed interface it can take a long time to send and store the image data. It is obviously possible to lower the image resolution and thereby reduce the data size of the image and shorten the time needed to send and store the image data. However, text is blurred when the image resolution is reduced, thereby reducing the usefulness of the image data as proof of check usage.
One method of getting around this problem is to provide the scanner with storage capacity for storing the acquired image data locally in the scanner, and then later transferring the image data from the scanner to the terminal computer during terminal computer idle time. While this method solves the problem of the data transmission time from the scanner to the terminal computer, it has certain disadvantages in that additional problems may arise. If the remaining storage capacity of the storage medium in the scanner is low, it may be necessary to rescan check C after pausing to download data from the scanner storage means to the terminal computer. A further problem is that a malfunction of the storage medium requires processing to stop.